Prime accused in bogus injections case arrested from Faisalabad

The authorities have arrested the prime accused in a case of administering off-label bogus injections to diabetes patients that led to loss of vision, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The arrest was made in Faisalabad on Wednesday. The accused who was identified as Asim Khalid was booked in a case registered under the Drugs Act.

Asim Khalid was accused of preparing the Avastin injections illegally and without registration at a private hospital. The illegal injections were then supplied throughout Punjab including Lahore.

On Tuesday, another man wanted in the case was arrested from Arifwala. He was identified as Bilal Rasheed.

Punjab’s Interim Health Minister Dr Javed Akram has confirmed that two main accused in the scandal have been arrested and 13 hospitals where these injections were used have also been sealed.

Talking to 24News TV channel, the health minister, however, made it clear that the use of Avastin injections to treat cancer patients will continue.

He further divulged that the inquiry will look into the scandal from all angles. “We are also collecting date of the patients who were injected with Avastin during the last five years,” he added.

Earlier, the health minister had confirmed that the Avastin injections had been administered without clearance from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan. He also revealed that the injections were given to patients without their consent.

He further revealed that a total of 68 cases had been identified in the scandal so far and two batches had been narrowed down. A report is being prepared by the authorities in this regard.

 

Reporters Saud Butt and Zahid Chaudhry